Sony Norde still awaits his prize money for his three years' worth of Man Of The Match titles

What’s the story?

In what comes as a shocking disclosure, Mohun Bagan’s Sony Norde has revealed that the players have not been receiving any money on account of winning Man of The Match awards.

The context

As per protocol, INR 10,000 is awarded to a footballer that has been chosen as Man Of The Match in any of the I-League or Federation Cup matches. Usually, players are presented a dummy check worth the amount along with a trophy for the same after the match.

Sources close to Sportskeeda suggest that despite posing with dummy cheques after matches, the players with the title have not been receiving the original cheque of INR 10,000. The Haitian striker, who has been playing for three years with a record of at least 25 Man Of The Match titles, has claimed that he is yet to receive a single rupee.

Heart of the matter

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of I-League, Sunanda Dhar, refused responsibility on behalf of the AIFF, asking the club to appeal to the sponsor, Hero and stated that it solely the sponsor’s responsibility to ensure that the payment of the award money was made to the respective players.

Responding to this, Mohun Bagan director Srinijoy Bose, who has allegedly already contacted the I-League tournament committee manager couple of times seeking the prize money in question, held the AIFF accountable as it is their tournament. He has questioned the expectation on the players and to be motivated to perform at their optimal levels, without paying them what they deserve.

Norde was awarded the Man Of The Match for his excellent free-kick goal leading to a Mohun Bagan win against Shillong Lajong on Wednesday but hasn’t received the original cheque for the same.

What’s next?

Between the blame game that has ensued following Norde’s exposé, Hero is yet to respond to this situation while the footballers continue to play without the payment of the award money.

Author’s take

Despite the lack of accountability from the administration and corresponding officials, Norde, like many of his fellow players, has continued to perform wholeheartedly. While his passion is commendable, it raises a bigger question as to how fair is it that the officials have consistently faltered in ensuring payments for these well-deserved players and yet continue to expect and put pressure on them to perform at their best on the field.